After witnessing the 7/7 bombings my wife has developed chronic paranoid schizophrenia and her condition is deteriorating. Her condition means that she is medically unable to fly home. It would be a danger to her and those around her. Yet we do not currently have the legal right to remain in the UK since our visa expired in 2011. So we have been in Limbo since then. I am trying to raise £600 for the legal fees which will hopefully allow us to remain here in the UK legally.

My wife and I are from a Commonwealth country in Africa. We have been living in the UK for 11 and 14 years respectively. I came here to study theology and my wife joined me three years later. After only four months in the UK she witnessed the 7/7 bus bombing. She was very near to where the bus was blown up. As a result she was severely traumatised and ended up being hospitalised for 8 months.

Since then I have been the primary carer for my wife, which affected my studies and my ability to work. Her day to day episodes are unpredictable, aggressive and disruptive, particularly if she is made to travel in public transport, especially buses and trains.

Our visa expired in 2011 and I was not able to earn the amount required to renew the visa so the application was rejected. However my wife’s condition means that she is medically unfit to return home. Her doctors say that her severe hallucinations mean that she would become extremely distressed and be likely to become a risk to others.

By 2014 we had used up all our savings and became destitute. I am forbidden from working or getting carers allowance but unable to go home. We cannot leave but are not legally allowed to stay.

But now a lawyer has found a possible route to allow us the legal right to remain in this country. The first step on this would cost £600

*One day I hope that my wife is well enough for us to go home. Mental illness is deeply stigmatized in our country so I have not used our names or photos